A Dance with Mischief
by Mischievous Elf
Summary: Rebeckah Collins is just an average 20-year old girl, until she runs into a man who will change the course of her life forever. Suddenly, she finds herself with The Avengers and slowly falls for a "supposedly evil" god and a shy, quiet scientist who is more that he appears. Who will this once-average girl choose? Bruce B./OC and Loki/OC.
1. 1 Run-ins and Meetings

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers . . . Loki . . . Bruce (sadly).**

* * *

He sits across the street from the local coffee shop, patiently waiting; waiting for something, no . . . someone. His jeweled green eyes search for any familiar feature. Still finding none as he has for the past hour, he slowly starts to fidget on the warped wooden bench. His head sinks into his hands with a sigh; that's when he sees it-a flicker of movement. He jerks his head back up only to grin wildly at the sight.

She walks out of the coffee shop alone, holding a coffee cup in her hand. She brushes her blonde curls out of her face as the wind starts to blow. Her blue-eyed gaze meets his eyes for the briefest of moments-but that's all he needs to be absolutely sure. She quickly glances down both ways of the sidewalk before heading to her right. He watches her closely before heading after her.

The girl turns another corner only to run into the man. The coffee spills down the front of his white shirt, on his dark green coat, and the green and gold silk scarf draped over his shoulders. The cup falls to the ground as it slips out of her hand.

"Oh, my God! I am so sorry!" she hastily apologizes.

"It's nothing." he dismisses it.

"No, it's not. I have quite obviously destroyed your clothing."

Her child-like eyes fill with guilt and a small trace of fear. He quickly glances down at the spreading coffee stains. _Nothing a little magic can't fix_-he tells himself.

"It's fine; I'll just take them to the cleaners." he smiles at her.

"I-I'll pay for the bill." she stammers.

"Oh, no, no, no. I wasn't paying attention-lost in thought, I guess."

"I-do I know you? You look vaguely familiar."

"No, I don't think we've ever met in person." he replies. "I'm Lo-Luke." he lies.

"Rebeckah-er . . .Becki."

He leans towards her as he whispers, "I think I prefer Rebeckah."

She feels her cheeks heat up slightly as his breath tickles her ear. "Well, I really must be going. Farewell, Rebeckah." he bows slightly.

He starts to walk away when she calls back, "Will I see you again?" Loki looks over his shoulder, smiling at her while saying, "In time." Before he turns the corner, his clothes are completely coffee free.

~ * (*) * (*) * ~

I enter my apartment, the events of today replaying in my head. I make sure to carefully avoid my run-in this morning. The events from work completely distract me from the fact that everything is black-no lights are on at all. I jump when I see a figure move in the darkness of my living room. A low voice causes me to freeze.

"Miss Collins, we've been looking for you."

"Wh-who are you? What are you doing in my apartment?" I ask, feeling anger staring to surge through me.

"Coulson, the lights." the voice commands.

The lights flicker on to reveal three people with me; two men and a woman, each dressed in a black outfit. The man standing up has darkened skin with an eye patch covering his left eye, scars travel down his face.

"Miss Collins, we have reason to believe that you have been in contact with a dangerous character." he informs me.

"I'm sorry, but you've failed to answer my question." He stares at me, confused with my statement. I sigh inwardly before continuing, "Who are you?" He purses his lips while I stand there, waiting for a response.

"He's Director Fury." a voice on my left says. I turn to look at Coulson-was it? "I'm Agent Phil Coulson. And this is Agent Natasha Romanoff."

"Agents?" I scoff." For what organization?"

"S. H. I. E. L. D." Fury answers.

"And what does S. H. I. E. L. D. want with me?"

"A few of our men have spotted you in the presence of our current enemy." Fury supplies.

"Current enemy." I chuckle. "Who is it?"

"Loki." Natasha speaks up.

"Loki? Meaning the God of Mischief from Norse mythology?" I ask confused.

I stare at the three of them incredulously. Their expressions tell me that they aren't joking around with me in the slightest. I sigh loudly, taking the bait. "Where have I met him? I think I'd remember."

"This morning."

I rack my brain trying to recollect every conversation I have had today. My mind is instantly drawn to Luke. I groan softly, realizing my encounter may have been too good to be true.

"So, you do remember." Fury says.

"Yeah, but I don't know him personally. I mean, I spilt coffee on him this morning . . . that's how I met him. It was purely an accident."

I watch as Coulson and Fury exchange looks. Natasha looks solemnly at the ground; I fidget in my spot uneasily. Coulson walks over to me, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"Ma'am, you're going to need to come with us."

"Wh-where?" I stutter.

Coulson smiles comfortingly at me. "You'll be safe."

"Safe? Why do I need to be safe?" I shake his hand off.

"We suspect that Loki has started a plan on how to use you to his advantage; we-" Fury begins.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa-hang on. Why would a god even _want_ to use me? I'm just a girl with no extraordinary talents; a nobody. Why me?" I shout almost in his face.

"We aren't positive in our idea just yet." he replies hesitantly.

I laugh dryly. "Fine, I'll go with you-only to prove that you're wrong." Fury gives me a curt nod as he leaves my apartment; Natasha tags along. I look over at Coulson who gestures for me to follow suite. I exhale sharply through my nose. Readjusting my purse, I walk through the door into the next stage of my life.

~ * (*) * (*) * ~

_The Helicarrier is . . .amazing; huge but amazing. _I walk throughout the different levels in awe of . . . everything-just wowed by every little detail. I am simple intrigued by a solid glass contained in the shape of a cylinder. _What is this for?_ I study every inch of it, wondering what it's sole purpose is. After being puzzled for at least a half hour, I find myself drawn to the science lab. _Why is this on here?_ _Whoever gets to work in here sure is lucky . . . if only my friends could see me now._ I smile faintly at the thought. I look out the large window overseeing the main deck. I sigh sadly, feeling the loneliness seep in.

"- is the lab, Dr. Banner." I hear Natasha say.

I turn my head slightly to see her and a man walk in. He scans the room slowly; his warm brown eyes falling on my last. I smile sweetly at him before returning my gaze to the deck below.

"Miss Collins, what are you doing in here?" Natasha asks.

"Enjoying the view." I gesture without looking back. I can almost feel her scowl. I hear the door open and close as she leaves.

"So, who are you?" I ask softly.

"Bruce Banner. You?"

"Bec-Rebeckah. Rebeckah Collins." I turn to face him. "So, why'd they Cll you in?"

He purses his lips for a moment. "To help locate the Tesseract."

"The what?"

"Tesseract. Apparently, it emits a small gamma signature. I'm trying to help them find it."

I nod slightly. _So . . . he's a genius. Great._ He looks around the room again, pausing now and then to take a closer look at things. With his back still to me, he asks, "So, if I may ask, why has S. H. I. E. L. D. brought you here?

"My own personal safety." I roll my eyes.

He looks back at me, confusion staining his eyes. "Safety? From what?"

"Not what. Whom." I correct. I walk over to him. "According to them, I have gained the attention of the Norse God of Mischief, Loki. I told them I'd tag along only to prove them wrong." I shrug sitting down in a chair.

"Why would a god bother with mortals? No offense." he quickly adds.

"None taken . . . I asked them the same thing."

He shakes his head lightly, causing his brown curls to bounce gently. He makes his way to one of the computers. The one he ends up at is scanning for a radiation signals.

"You're welcome to stay, but I must attempt to find the Tesseract." he flashes me an apologetic smile.

"Thanks. I don't really have anyone else to talk to here."

He takes a sideways glance at me. "Not even Natasha?"

"She seems a little on edge . . . Either that or she just really hates me."

Bruce chuckles softly, shaking his head. "I don't think she hates you. I heard a few whispers on deck; one of their agents, Natasha's partner, was taken."

"By who?" I inquire.

"Loki, I believe."

"Damn." I whisper. I run my hand through my long blonde locks.

"What?" Bruce looks up at me.

"Maybe Fury was right about Loki. Maybe he is trying to find a way to use me." I mumble.

I look down at my hands as I play with the hem of my shirt. _I had really hoped to be right._ I sigh silently.

"Well, maybe he has another motive, but I'm sure he's not the_ nicest_ guy in the world. Are you sure you met him?"

"If I did, "I chuckle, "I spilt coffee on him. Bruce smiles lightly at me. I smile back, feeling comfortable in his presence. "You know, if you need me to do something, just ask. I don't want to be a complete waste of space." I tell him.

"You're not." he tells me quickly. "However, since you offered, I could use some help."

"Alright, what do you need me to do?"

* * *

**Review?**


	2. 2 Heroes and Friendships

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers… unfortunately…**

* * *

A few hours later, Bruce and I have every computer set up and aiding in the search for the Tesseract. I take the time to notice how his face lights up each time he uses the equipment. I laugh to myself. _He's such a geek_. I smirk slightly at him. He catches my expression. He starts to question me when I am saved by a tall blue-eyed, blonde-haired man. I look over at him.

"Dr. Banner, we've got a lock on Loki's location." he says.

"Really? Where is he?" I speak up.

"Germany. And you are?"

"Rebeckah Collins." I smile.

"Pleasure to meet you, ma'am. Steve Rogers." he holds out his hand.

I shake it firmly. "Oh, I've heard of you." I vaguely start to remember hearing about him through friends and various whispers at the café.

"Good things, I hope." he smiles.

"All the time, Cap."

His cheeks darken to a dusty rose. "Anyway, Fury wanted me to tell you that he wants you to stay here and keep tabs on the Cube."

"Well, I'm still looking." he points to a monitor. Steve nods briefly and leaves the room. I look over at Bruce and say, "That's Captain America."

"Yeah. He would seem to be." he chuckles.

"Wow, superheroes and gods in one day. I must be dreaming."

"I can assure you that you're not."

"Good. I'd hate to think that I had dreamed it all."

I watch Bruce mess with some type of ratio on one of the screens. I try to process what he's doing, but he goes to fast for me to comprehend. _So, we haveS.H.I.E.L.D., Loki, Captain America, and Bruce…who is he?_

"Hey, Bruce?" I perk up.

"Hm?" he replies, focusing on the gamma locater.

"Who are you?"

"Pardon?" he turns to look at me.

"Let me rephrase." I pause. "We have Loki, a god, Captain America, a superhero, and S.H.I.E.L.D., a top-secret organization… so who-or what, I guess-are you?"

I see his eyes darken slightly as his cheeks flush to a very pale flesh tone. He stands up and walks over to me. He looks me in the eye and whispers, "Have you ever lived in New York?"

"Yes… as of now, it's my permanent state of residence." I answer him slowly; perplexed by the direction this conversation has taken.

"Do you remember the "disturbance" in Harlem a few years ago?"

I stare at him with confusion as I attempt to recall anything from the past few years. When I find something, I ask, "Do you mean the fight between the Abomination and the Hulk?" He grimaces and nods stiffly. I feel my eyes widen. "You're the Hulk? Oh, my god… I thought I'd never be able to tell him this, and now I can: Thank you."

He blinks. "For what?"

I inhale deeply before plunging into my story. "That night, I had been visiting my friend's grandmother-she was extremely ill. On my way home, I was caught up in the attack; I was blocked on each side." I pause, watching his face switch emotions. "The Abomination-as people started calling him-was throwing cars, trucks, anything in his way. He was about to throw one on top of me… then, you showed up and saved me. If it weren't for you, I'd've died that night… so, thank you." I smile at him.

He looks down at the floor so I can't read his expression. I put a hand on his shoulder so he looks up at me. "Hey, you're a hero." He shakes his head sadly. "No, I'm a science experiment gone wrong." He walks back over to the monitors, messing around with the numbers. "Or gone right." I mumble softly.

I sit on one of the tables and pull out my iPhone. I check my messages, noticing that I've missed at least ten from my friend Kelsea; most of them worrying about where I am. "God, Kels…Chill out." I mutter.

"What?" Bruce asks.

"Oh, nothing. Just seeing that my friend thinks that I've been kidnapped." I roll my eyes.

"What'd you tell her?" he inquires, turning back to the equipment.

"That I'm fine. I had to take an emergency trip to Ohio to see my aunt." I shrug.

"A lie?"

"Well, I can't exactly tell her the truth. 'Oh, hey! I ran into a god and now I'm at a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility with a genius.' I'd _love_ to see her reaction to that." I snort.

He nods, understanding my reason. A smirk tugs at his lips. "Genius?"

I shrug, trying to hide my blush. "Well, yeah. I mean, I don't even know what all of that," I gesture to the various computers, "means." I hear him chuckle at me.

"It's actually fairly simple. See, you just-"

"Ah, ah, ah! No, I don't want you to try and explain… I'll only get confused."

"Alright, Rebeckah."

A steady silence fills the room, but it's not uncomfortable… it's almost welcome. My gaze returns to my phone as I wait for a reply from Kelsea.

~Alright c u

when u get back~

_Well, at least she's calmed down._ Without looking at Bruce, I say, "Pick a song." I search through my thousands of songs, waiting for a response.

"Excuse me?"

"Pick. A. Song." I repeat slower.

"Um… why?"

I sigh softly. " While your conversations are great, Bruce, I need background noise… that's why I carry this around everywhere." I explain to him.

"I… I don't know…I haven't really been in an environment with music that I think you'd be interested in." I stare at him. "I've been in India since the incident."

"Ah… in that case, I'm afraid not." I hit shuffle at the top of my most used playlist. I laugh aloud as "Let's Dance" starts playing. Bruce looks at me with a confused yet sarcastic expression. "Really?" he says.

"What?" I shrug. "I love David Bowie."

"Aren't you a little young to know him?"

"Are you kidding? 'Labyrinth' was my favorite movie growing up."

He smirks a bit. My music continues to fill the room as we carry on with our work. An hour or two later, Natasha appears holding a metallic scepter with a glowing blue orb at its tip.

"Doctor, we need you to test this. We've captured Loki and will be bringing him in shortly. This was his." she sets it down on the table in the center of the room. "We'll be out on the bridge." My gaze lingers on the scepter as she leaves. I tear my eyes away to look at Bruce. "Should we follow?"

"Yeah. I'd rather be there then get a replay later." he says, removing his glasses.

I turn to head out the door when I see him… Loki. He's being escorted by armed men down the hall. A smile disappears from his slender, pale face as he lays eyes on me. I remain still until I can't see him anymore. I feel a hand on my lower back. "Shall we head on?" Bruce whispers in my ear. I nod stiffly and smirk as I remark, "Looks like he got rid of that coffee stain."

~ * (*) * (*) * ~

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Bruce comments as Loki's visual disappears.

I smirk weakly at his witty remark. I fidget where I stand, shifting my weight from foot to foot. I see him glance over at me with concern.

"Loki's going to drag this out." Steve sighs. "So, Thor, what's his play?"

Loki's brother, Thor, slowly turns to the rest of us; his forehead creased in thought. "He has an army called the Chitauri. They are not of Asgard, nor any world known." he pauses, his blue eyes closing. "He means to lead them against your people; they will win him the Earth, in return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."

I simply stare at the ground, still trying to process everything. _So, he really is the God of Mischief… dammit._

"An army… from outer space." Steve states, almost in disbelief.

"So, he's building another portal." Bruce slowly pieces it together. "That's what he needs Erik Selvig for."

"Selvig?" Thor questions.

"He's an astrophysicist." Bruce explains.

"He's a friend."

I slowly look up at the blonde god, not even trying to mask my confusion. Thor seems to miss it. I continue to stare until Natasha speaks up.

"Loki has him under some sort of spell… along with one of our own." she looks down sadly.

"I wanna know why Loki let us take him." Steve says.

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki." Bruce shakes his head.

"Why not?" I ask.

"His mind is a bag full of cats; you could_ smell_ crazy on him… you don't agree, Rebeckah?"

I shake my head lightly_._ "No. He has an ulterior motive. Why else would he _willingly_ come here? Plus, he seems to be the only person on board this vessel that_wants_ to be here."

"You know, the lady has a point." a voice from the hallway says.

I watch as Tony Stark walks in talking to Agent Coulson. I briefly catch something about a flight to Portland. Tony looks over at me as he continues. "Reindeer Games put up too much of a fight with Rogers to give up that soon. When we had our… um… fight in the forest, he sat and watched; he didn't even try to escape. He's planning something."

"Alright, taking that into consideration, what does he need the iridium for?" Bruce asks.

"It's a stabilizing agent. It means the portal won't collapse on itself like it did at S.H.I.E.L.D." He walks over to Thor, patting his bicep. "No hard feelings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing."

I watch him head over to the computers that Fury often uses. "Also," he adds, "it means the portal can stay open as wide, and as long, as Loki wants." Tony looks out over the members of S.H.I.E.L.D., ordering them around. He points to a man at one of the various computers. "That man is playing _Galaga._ He thought we wouldn't notice, but we did."

Stark places a hand over his left eye, trying to see each monitor at once. "How does Fury even see these?" he asks incredulously. Agent Hill shrugs, "He turns."

"Sounds exhausting." he quickly messes with the displayed data. "The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. The only major component he needs is a power source of high-energy density." He walks back up to the table, clasping his hands together. "Something to kick-start the Cube."

"When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" Hill asks.

"Last night." he replies instantly with a serious expression. I cover my mouth to hide my smile. Bruce smirks at me. "The packet," Stark continues, "Selvig's notes, the extraction theory papers… Am I the only one who did the reading?" He throws his hands up.

"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" Steve asks, trying to fully understand the situation.

I see Banner start to pace beside me. "He would have to heat the Cube to 120-million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier."

"Unless," Tony starts, "Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect."

"Well, if he could do that, he could achieve heavy ion fusion at any reactor on the planet." Bruce adds.

"Finally, someone who speaks English." Tony smiles enthusiastically at Bruce.

Steve looks over at me. "Is that what just happened?" I chuckle softly. "I think two science geeks just found someone who shares common knowledge."

"-meet you, Dr. Banner." Tony shakes his hand firmly. "Your work on antielectron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage-monster."

Bruce frowns slightly as he glances over at me. I smile weakly at him. "Thanks." he mutters. _You're not a bad man, Bruce. Don't let him get to you._

"Dr. Banner is only here to track the Cube." Fury walks in. He looks directly at Stark as he continues. "I was hoping you might join him… I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys."

"Monkeys?" Thor slightly tilts his head. "I do not unders-"

"I do!" Steve says cheerfully. "I understood that reference." I see Tony roll his eyes at the hero, and I smile. Stark turns to Bruce, "Shall we play, Doctor?"

Banner gestures down the hall. "This way, sir." He gazes at me, almost pleading me to follow. I start after them when Fury calls my name.

"Miss Collins." Bruce and I look back at him. "Loki has requested to speak with you… privately." he grits his teeth on the last word. "I suggest you don't keep him waiting."

I nod hesitantly. I look at Banner. "I'll be there shortly. Try not to kill Tony while I'm gone."

He chuckles lightly. "No promises, Rebeckah." I smile back at him as I head off to see the God of Mischief.

* * *

**Review?**


	3. 3 Secrets and Tensions

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers… unfortunately…**

* * *

I slowly walk into the area with the large steel and glass case. I see Loki sitting on the built-in bench with his green eyes closed. _So, this is what it was made for_. I walk up to the glass, waiting for him to acknowledge me.

"Hello, Rebeckah." his soft, velvety voice says.

"You lied to me." I cross my arms over my chest.

"Oh?" he opens his eyes as he raises a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"Your name. You said your name was 'Luke'." I smirk.

"Ah, right. Well, for that, I am deeply sorry." He stands up and walks to the center of the cylinder.

"Why did you want to see me?"

"Why would any man _not_ want to see you again?" he smiles darkly at me.

I roll my eyes; I hear him chuckle softly. "In all seriousness, why?" I ask.

"You asked if we'd ever see each other again." he walks up to me. "Now, we have."

"Well. if that's all, I'll be heading back now." I smirk. I watch his smile disappear. I head back to the door when he says, "Going back to the monster, are we Rebeckah?"

"He's not a monster." I turn to look him in his eyes. "He saved my life."

He scowls briefly as he mumbles something indistinctly. "What was that?" I question him. His lips form a thin line as he stares at me. After a moment or two, he smirks and replies, "Nothing of importance."

"Right." I scoff.

He starts to pace, hands clasped behind his back. Every now and then, he glances over at me. I tap my foot impatiently, waiting for Loki to say something.

"When we met," he begins slowly, "you told me that I seemed familiar to you… how?"

His question catches me off guard. My mouth hangs open slightly, unsure of how to answer. He stares at me, patiently waiting for me to speak. _He still is familiar… I know I've seen him before, but where?_

"Um… I'm not really sure. It's like I saw you in a dream. But that's crazy, right?"

He smiles sadly. "No, it's not, my dear Rebeckah. We have, indeed, met before; however, it wasn't a dream."

"So, you lied to me twice." I accuse him.

He looks at me, trying to remember our first conversation. A look a realization spreads across his face; it even grazes his eyes. "You're right, but if I had told you the truth, would you have believed me?"

He stares deep into my aquamarine eyes, searching for my answer. I sigh softly, shutting my eyes, "No, I probably wouldn't have."

"See." He holds up his hands.

"So, where have we met?" I ask, slightly intrigued.

The faint smirk on his lips reaches his emerald eyes. He walks up to me, placing a fist on the glass. "Run along, Rebeckah." he whispers softly, sadness seeping through his words.

"But-"

"This is a conversation for another time."

"Soon?" I raise a golden eyebrow.

His lips twitch but he doesn't reply. I place my hands on my hips as I stare at him. "Promise me, Loki."

A brief flash of pain shines through his eyes. He bows his head, "You have my word, milady." I turn to go as I say, "Well, I hope your 'word' is good for something." I reach the door and hear Loki mumble, "It means everything, for you, my dear… and it always will."

~ * (*) * (*) * ~

I knock on the doorframe to the science lab. Tony glances up to see me.

"Hey, Becki." he smiles.

"Rebeckah." I correct him. I see Bruce look at me through my peripheral vision. "May I come in?"

"Of course." he replies. "So, what did Reindeer Games want?"

"To see me." I roll my eyes.

"I can understand why… "Tony says, looking me up and down. "Can't you, Banner?"

I scowl at him, trying to hide my reddening cheeks. Bruce removes his glasses. He fiddles around with them nervously, thinking of how to respond. I look at him sympathetically. "You don't have to answer that, Bruce. Tony just doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut." I smile sweetly.

"Would you prefer it if I said you were hideous, or just continuously insulted you?"

"Would you like it if I found a way to tell Pepper about your flirtatious ways?"

He grimaces. "You wouldn't."

"Wanna bet?" I cross my arms over my stomach.

I watch Bruce try to cover his smile. I head over to the table with Loki's scepter. "So, is that all he wanted? Just to see you?" Bruce asks.

"He reminded me of the day we met-even though I didn't actually know it was him. I had told him that he seemed familiar, and Loki wanted to know how."

"What did you say?"

"It was like… I had dreamed about him. That was the only way I could describe it. He told me that wasn't it but refused to tell me where we had met." I sigh. "He gave me his word that he'd tell me soon."

"And you trust him?" Tony speaks up.

I nod firmly. He stares at me as though I've lost my mind. "How can you do that?"

"When a god gives you his word, it's… it's stronger than a regular promise; they're bound to it. So, Loki must tell me." I add.

"Wow. So, he must really care for you… how does that work?" Tony asks.

"I don't know. I can only wait to find out. Anyway, what's the status on the scepter?" I hastily change the subject.

"Oh, um… it has an energy signature consistent to that of the Cube." Bruce informs me, seeming to be pleased with the sudden subject change.

I nod. _Where has he put it? Where could Loki possibly have sent it?_

"So, do you understand any of this?" Tony inquires, gesturing to the entire room.

"Kind of. I mean, I'm not a hundred percent sure about what you two were talking about… but I get the gist." I shrug.

Tony chuckles, mostly to himself. "You two should come by Stark Tower sometime. I could give you a synopsis." He points to me with a smirk dancing across his lips.

I watch Bruce fidget a bit as he continues to study Loki's scepter. "Thanks, but the last time I was is New York, I kind of broke… Harlem." he mumbles. I hold back a smile as he gazes at me. _You're not a monster_-I keep wanting to tell him. "Well, I promise a stress-free environment. No surprises." Tony says as he stabs Banner with an electrically charged rod.

"Ow!" he shouts.

"What the hell?" I glare at Tony. He looks into Bruce's eyes. "Nothing?"

"Hey!" I hear a voice behind me yell.

I turn around to see Steve. I smile quickly at him and he returns the gesture before glaring at Stark. "Are you nuts?"

"Jury's out." He turns back to Bruce. "You really have got a lid on it, haven't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz, bongo drums, big bag of w-"

"Is everything a joke to you?" Steve cuts him off.

"Funny things are." he replies simply.

"Threatening the safety of everyone on board isn't funny… No offense, Doc."

Bruce timidly shrugs. "It's all right." He looks directly at me. "I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy… things."

"You should be focusing on the problem, Mr. Stark." Steve sneers.

"Do you think we're not?" I ask him.

Tony smiles gratefully at me. "Why did Fury call us in? Why now? Why not before? What isn't he telling us? I can't do the equation unless I have all the variables."

"You think Fury's hiding something?"

"He's a spy. Captain, he's _'the'_ spy." I tell him. "His secrets have secrets."

"It's bugging him too. Isn't it?" Tony asks Bruce while he starts eating some blueberries. Bruce glances between us nervously. "Uh… I just want to finish my work here, and…"

"Doctor?" Steve says, his voice stern.

He stares into my eyes for a moment before continuing. He takes off his glasses with a sigh. "'A warm light for all mankind.' Loki's jab at Fury about the Cube."

"I heard it." Steve stiffens.

"Well, I think that was meant for you." he points at Tony.

"Even if Agent Barton didn't know about the tower, it was all over the news." I nod in understanding. "Even I heard about it."

"The Stark Tower?" Rogers snorts. "That big, ugly… building in New York."

"It's powered by an arc reactor, a self-sustaining energy source. That building will run itself for, what, a year?"

"It's just the prototype. I'm kinda the only name in clean energy right now. That's what he's getting at." Tony winks at me, trying to define it so I can fully understand.

"So, why didn't S.H.I.E.L.D. bring him in on the Tesseract project? What are they doing in the energy business in the first place?" Bruce points out.

"I should probably look into that once my decryption program finishes breaking into all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secure files."

"I'm sorry. Did you just say-"

"Jarvis has been running it since I hit the bridge. In a few hours, I'll know every dirty secret S.H.I.E.L.D. has ever tried to hide. Blueberry?"

"I should've known." I scoff.

"Yet you're confused about why they didn't want you around." Steve says.

"I'm sorry, but an intelligence organization that _fears_ intelligence?" I butt in. "Historically, not awesome."

Steve attempts to get off the subject that he obviously just lost. "I think Loki's trying to wind us up. This is a man who means to start a war and if we don't stay focused, he'll succeed. We have orders; we should follow them."

"Following's not really my style." Stark pops another handful of blueberries into his mouth.

Steve smiles. "And you're all about style, aren't you?"

"Of the people in this room, which one is, A, wearing a spangly outfit, and, B, not of use?"

Steve scowls and looks to me for back-up. Thankfully Bruce comes to my rescue. "Steve, tell me that none of this smells a little funky to you."

Steve takes one last look at me before heading out of the room saying, "Just find the Cube."

I let out a long sigh, glad that some of the tension left the room with Steve. I prop myself up on one of the vacant tables, staring down at my hands. I hear Tony exclaim, "That's the guy my dad never shut up about? I'm wondering if they should've left him on ice."

"Like it or not, Tony, he's a hero. Even after he disappeared, no one stopped talking about him." I say.

"Huh. He's not wrong about Loki, though." Bruce says. "He does have the jump on us."

"No." Tony says simply." What he's got is an Acme dynamite kit. It's going to blow up in his face. And I'm going to be there when it does." he walks over to a computer, messing around with the information.

"I'll read about it." I smile cheerfully. Bruce smiles back at me. "Same here."

"Sure, sure… or you two will be suiting up like the rest of us." Tony's eyes remain on the computer.

"You see, I don't get a suit of armor. I'm exposed… like a nerve. It's a nightmare." Banner shudders. I walk over to him and place a hand on his shoulder. He turns to look at me with his stunning brown eyes. "That's more than me. I'm just a girl with absolutely no special abilities." He smiles weakly. I can tell that he still thinks he's a monster.

"You know, I've got a cluster of shrapnel, trying every second to crawl its way into my heart." Tony says, walking over to us. He taps on the arc reactor in his chest. "This stops it; this little circle of light. It's a part of me now, not just armor… It's a terrible privilege."

Bruce turns back to Tony, pointing at him. "But you can control it."

"Because I learned how."

"That's different." Banner shakes his head, returning to the data on the holo-screen in front of him. Tony minimizes it, continuing, "Hey, I've read all about your accident. That much gamma exposure should've killed you."

"So, you're saying that the Hulk… the other guy, " he corrects himself, "saved my life? That's nice. That's a nice sentiment… Saved it for what?"

Tony shrugs, "I guess we'll find out." He returns to the computer on the other side of the room. "You may not like that." Bruce chuckles.

"And you just might." I tell him.

He smiles weakly at me from over his shoulder. I stretch stiffly with a yawn. I laugh at myself, realizing how tired I really am. "I'm sorry to bail on you guys, but I think I must go to bed… otherwise, I may fall over." Tony smiles at me, "Night, Angel Cake." I roll my eyes at his nickname for me. Bruce takes my hand briefly and says, "Come on, I'll take you to your room. I'd hate for you to fall in the hallway." I smile up at him but glare at Tony as he chuckles at Bruce's generosity.

We walk silently down the hallway to my room. I stop at my door and turn to him. "Thank you, Bruce… for everything." I smile genuinely at him. "You're welcome. If you need anything, my room is just next door. Good night, Rebeckah." I see his cheeks darken. I open my door and quickly kiss his cheek before heading inside. "Sweet dreams, Bruce."

"Y-You too." he smiles.

I shut the door on him and sigh softly… _God, he's just so adorable…_ I lie down on my bed and close my eyes. _I really do hope that I have sweet dreams, Bruce… I really do._

* * *

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	4. 4 Memory Lane

**Disclaimer: I sadly do not own The Avengers, Marvel, or anything else in this story besides the plot and darling Rebeckah Collins.**

* * *

I casually walk down the streets of an ancient city. The houses are made of hand-made bricks and the streets are made of cobble stones. My elegant Venetian dress whispers against the stones, disturbing the otherwise quiet streets. The moon is nearly in the sky; my long blonde hair casts a silver sheen in the pale moonlight. A man with raven hair steps out of the shadows.

"Slyvania." he whispers.

"Loki?" I tilt my head.

He frowns slightly at my greeting. Loki walks up to me, wrapping an arm around my waist. His beautiful jeweled eyes peer into mine. He dips his head to plant a kiss on my neck; I struggle to break his grasp. He takes hold of my wrists and pulls me close.

"Loki, what are you doing?" I scowl.

"What's your name?"

"Excuse me?" I stare at him.

"Your name, milady."

"Rebeckah." I sigh.

He closes his eyes as he rests his forehead on mine. I stiffen slightly at his actions, a little uncomfortable in Loki's grasp. "Loki, where am I? What's going on?" I ask, almost breathlessly. He exhales softly, out of disappointment-not annoyance.

"You are in eighteenth century Venice, Italy." he whispers to me. "As for the reason we're here, you asked me to tell you where we've met before."

I glance around then back at Loki. "Eighteenth century Venice, Italy?" He nods once. "Are you saying I'm old?" I raise an eyebrow. Loki actually laughs a true genuine laugh. I smile at him, in spite of what's happening.

"No, Rebeckah… I'm not calling _you_ old. Your spirit-soul-on the other hand is a different tale." I chuckle. "My soul? Seriously? Or are you just saying that to cover the fact that you created this amazing dream… oh, my God."

He stares down at me intently. I gaze up at him, shock and fear consuming my eyes. "Th-this isn't a dream, is it?"

"Well, you are sleeping."

"But this is a memory… not a dream. You told me that I hadn't seen you in a dream, but it had felt like it. Oh, my God… you're telling the truth." His emerald eyes fill with concern as he nods stiffly. He tenderly grasps my shoulders. "Rebeckah, I can leave. I can stop this now. Or you can walk through the rest of your previous lives with me."

I shake my silver-blonde head. "No, I asked for this. I want to know." I smile at him. "So, what's the story here?" He releases my shoulders only to link my arm with his. After that, he starts to lead me through the square, enlightening me about my past.

"Your name was Slyvania Frescotti. You were born into a poor family-very unfortunate in my eyes-yet you were never unhappy with your life. When I first saw you, I knew from that moment that you were something special. You would walk like a lady of status, but it wasn't arrogant-it was simply you. You never looked down or spoke ill of anyone, unless it was playful banter. You mesmerized me, Rebeckah. I couldn't return home until I met you in person."

"Wait," I stop him. "why weren't you on Asgard?"

"I'm the God of Mischief, I can go where I please." he flashes me a brilliant smile. "Something-or perhaps someone-was calling me to Midgard." he gazes down at me. I feel a rapid blush run up to my cheeks. He smirks but says nothing. "Anyway, you were saying?" I lower my gaze.

"Right. Well, I followed you for a while one day, trying to find an opportune moment to speak to you. You led me right up to a large, glassy pond where you sat down and never moved. It took me the longest time to figure out what was wrong. You were weeping-almost inaudibly. Your tears were silently staining your pale face. I cautiously approached you… I-I was afraid that you'd run away from me."

"The God of Mischief afraid?" I eye him in disbelief.

"Well, you were obviously quite upset. I've seen mortals lash out violently in times such as these. I implore you not to tell anyone, especially Thor, about my emotions that night."

"Why ever not?" I roll my eyes.

"It would forever tarnish my reputation." he beams.

I laugh cheerfully, and Loki joins in. We come across a stone bench and he gestures for me to sit. He takes my hands in his as he continues.

"So, I knelt down beside you, asking what was bothering you." He inhales deeply. "You were being forced into marriage. Your parents had managed to set you up with a duke in a neighboring county. From what I gathered, he was a 'pompous boy who wouldn't be fit to govern a farm'." I raise my eyebrows at the harsh words. "Those came from you-or your mind rather-I'm only relaying. I do believe that was the only time I had witnessed you being cruel.

"I took pity on you. You were young and full of life; I saw so much potential in you. We talked for hours that day." he smiles sadly. "I walked you home and made an offer you had to decline. Although, I knew you would."

"What was it?"

He squeezes my hand gently. "I offered to take you far away from this land. I offered to care for you, love you as you deserved. However, you were-and still are-headstrong, and you regretfully declined. Your eyes said, 'yes' while your pride and honor told you, 'no'. I promised to return to you, but it wouldn't be for a few years. I watched you every day in Asgard, each day loving you even more. On the day I decided to return, that… bastard of a husband abused you to the point where it was fatal; he had been severely drunk.

"I found you, lying on the cold stone floor. Your beautiful blue eyes shone in your last moments." he closes his eyes. "I held you long after you took your final breath. I-I'm not grateful for what I did afterwards; I took my rage out on the duke. It was brief and not nearly what I thought he deserved."

I shudder involuntarily. His eyes gaze into mine; he smiles weakly. "The next one is… better-in my personal opinion. Would you care to see?" I nod, a smile dancing across my lips. We stand up and he gets behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist. He whispers in my ear, "Close your eyes." I immediately obey. I feel a slight airy breeze after a moment. Loki lightly squeezes my hand, telling me to open my eyes. I hear myself utter a small gasp of amazement.

I look around to see a lush meadow surrounding us. Wild flowers grow everywhere; trees make a perimeter around the grassy plain. I glance back to Loki who smiles down at me. "This is England in the mid-1800's" he tells me. I look down at my outfit to see it made out of the finest silk or its time. My hair is pinned up in a bun, but I can still tell that it's unbelievably curly and nearly white.

"What was my name?" I ask him.

"Abigale Williams." his breath tickles my ear. "You were the daughter of a wealthy nobleman; you were admired and respected by many, and touched everyone you met. Your father was hosting a masquerade ball one evening, and I couldn't pass on that. You were off in a corner of your estate, not talking to anyone, letting others share your spotlight. I came up to you and asked if you would join me in a dance. You were shy but cheerfully accepted. You were absolutely stunning. I had no idea it was you at first… until halfway through our waltz when I gazed into your eyes; those gems that had haunted me for so long. I had found you again, although I could barely believe my chances.

"I stayed with you the entire night; I couldn't possibly leave your side after I had mourned you for so long. You couldn't remember who I was, even though I continuously dropped subtle hints. We took a stroll through the gardens, eventually stumbling upon a maze. I remember chasing you through it, following your beautiful laugh." I feel him chuckle. I smile though I know he can't see it. "I finally caught up with you, you were such a little tease, but, in those moments, I realized one thing."

I turn around to look up at him. "What was that, Loki?"

"I realized that I was deeply in love with you." he sighs. "When the ball was over, I left, vowing to try and forget about you. I couldn't believe that I had fallen so hard for a mortal… I tried for weeks to erase you from my memory, but to no avail. One day, I was strolling through town when I ran into someone… It was you. I cursed myself for not paying attention, yet there I was staring into those blue eyes that would never again leave my soul.

"You were extremely pleased to see me; you had been searching for me since I vanished. I spent one more day with you. At the end, I told you that I had to leave and that I would not be able to return; that made you deeply upset. I couldn't bear to see you like that. I told you that I could make you forget; make you think that we had never met. You asked me to do it so that you wouldn't have to endure the pain. I took you back home and took away your memories. I swiftly returned to Asgard-cursing myself for leaving you once again."

"So, was I truly happy? What happened?"

"I did keep an eye on you; just to be sure you were safe. You were married to a worthy suitor and had two beautiful daughters. You were indeed happy with the way your life turned out… you died of natural causes." he closes his eyes.

"Well, that's definitely better than the last one." I smile weakly. He nods in agreement. "Is that it? Is that the last of my past lives?"

"Yes, there have only been these two before the one you are currently living."

I exhale softly and watch as the scene dissolves into my room on the Helicarrier. I know that it's not a dream, but it seems very strange to be back here.

"I love you, Rebeckah. I have since the first time I met you. I realize now that I can't afford to lose you again; however, I know that your heart is torn at the moment… you care for the beast."

"He isn't a beast." I say defensively. "He's a human being."

"Ah, but can you learn to love both his humanity and the creature within?" he raises an eyebrow at me. "You will forever be mine, darling. It doesn't matter who you end up with, you will always belong to me. You appearing in this life again, proves my theory to be true." he pulls me to him. "I will fight for you."

"Don't you dare harm Bruce." I say calmly despite the anger rising inside of me.

"I will not harm him. On that, you have my word. Just remember what I told you." He plants a kiss firmly on my forehead before letting me go. I take a step back and watch the scene disappear. I sit up in bed, clutching the sheets to my sweat-soaked chest; I hear my breath coming out in rapid pants. I hear a knock on the door that causes me to jump.

"Rebeckah?" a voice calls out. "It's Bruce."

"C-come in." I reply, my voice shaking slightly.

The quiet scientist opens the door and promptly shuts it behind him. He walks over and gently sits down on the bed.

"I heard you shout. I wanted to make sure you were all right." he looks down at the floor.

"I just had a dream… Loki was in it."

"What happened?"

"Somehow, he managed to get into my mind. He showed me how we knew each other from before. I've apparently been reincarnated, starting in Venice then to England to present day. Loki's been there through each of them." I shudder lightly. "He told me he loved me."

Bruce stiffens slightly as I finish. "What was your reaction?" I smile at him. "He already knew what it was."

"Oh?"

"I think I'm in love with someone else." I tell him softly.

"And who would that be? If you don't mind me asking."

I shake my head with a chuckle. "Of course not." I place my hand on his cheek to make him look at me. His dark eyes meet mine as I tell him, "It's you." I move forward and kiss him gently. He doesn't react at first but hesitantly kisses me back. We part simultaneously, both with a sheepish smile on our face. I look over at my clock, informing me that it's only two in the morning. I groan softly.

"What's wrong?"

"I need to go back to sleep… but I don't want another visit from Loki tonight." I rub my temples.

He takes a look at me and sighs. "Move over."

"What?" I ask him.

"Move over. Sometimes, having another person around prevents nightmares or just bad dreams in general." he explains.

I blush lightly at the thought of sleeping with Bruce next to me. I obey his command so he can lie next to me. He slides in and places an arm around me; I immediately lie right beside him, my head nearly on his chest. He kisses the top of my head and whispers, "I hope you have pleasant dreams this time around, Rebeckah." I smile to myself and close my eyes, drifting off into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

**Review?**


	5. 5 Fighting Battles

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or the Avengers.**

* * *

I wake up slowly to find my head nestled on someone's chest. I glance up to see a sleeping Bruce; I smile up at him. _Why is he just so lovable?_ I notice how much his face looks care-and stress-free as he continues to dream peacefully. I try to move so I don't disturb him but find his arm encircling my slim waist. I sigh happily, content in my position, listening to the steady beat of his heart. I stay there for several more minutes until I sense Bruce stir.

"Morning." I tell him.

"Rebeckah?" he questions, uncertainty expressed in his voice.

"Yeah, it's me." I look up.

He smiles as he gazes upon my face. "Did you sleep well the second time?"

"Mm-hm. Thank you. Your method seems to have helped." I grin. "So, what do you and Tony have planned for today?"

"Just searching for the Cube and anything else Fury throws at us." he sighs, running a hand through his wavy brown hair.

"I'll try to be of assistance. I have nothing better to do than to pick on Tony." I beam.

He chuckles as he releases my waist. I sit up, moving the hair out of my face. Without looking at Bruce, I say, "You should probably go before Tony decides to go nosing around… Plus, I have to get ready to greet the day." I hear him sit up and get off the bed. He heads over to the door. "I'll see you in a bit." he says. I nod to him before he leaves me in the silent room.

I head to my bathroom to take a quick shower before rushing off to bash Tony. _It's not my fault… He just asks for it._ I giggle uncontrollably to myself for a minute. I turn the water on to high heat and let the steam engulf me. I reluctantly get out, wrapping the cream-colored towel around me. I run a hand through my wet hair before heading back in the room to grab some clothes. I make it all the way to the dresser before noticing his presence. I hear him clear his throat and I jump, dropping the clothes in my hand; the grip on my towel tightens firmly, however.

"So, did you have pleasant dreams, darling?" he purrs.

"How'd you get in here? You're supposed to be in a cell." I hiss, turning around to see Loki sitting casually on my bed.

"It's called magic and trickery, my dear; something that I have a natural talent for." he replies with a sneer, curling his upper lip. "You didn't answer my question."

"They were a lot better after you left." I reply snidely.

His green eyes still manage to pierce mine despite the steam emitting from the bathroom. He smirks at my sudden wit as he looks me up and down. I feel uncomfortable by his stare, but I refuse to let it show.

"So, it's quite clear that you love the man." he whispers. "After all, you did let him sleep with you."

"Just to keep the nightmares away." I shrug my bare shoulders.

"Was it really a nightmare?" He stands up, walking over to me. He cups the right side of my face with his cold hand. "I tried incredibly hard to make sure that you wouldn't be afraid."

"It wasn't my past lives that scared me." I admit in a mumble.

He sighs sadly. "I've tried to stay away, Rebeckah. I honestly have." he whispers to me. "I can't seem to let you go. Can't you understand that?"

"There's a saying from us mortals," I smile faintly, "'If you love something, set in free'."

"Ah, yes. I've heard that one. 'If it comes back, it's yours. If it does not come back, it was never meant to be'. How could I possibly be sure that you'd return my feelings?"

"Wouldn't it be better if I cared for you on my own terms and was happy, as opposed to being forced to love you and being miserable?"

He growls darkly, "Why do you torment me so? What have I done to deserve such pain?"

"There's just no winning with you, is there?" I sigh, closing my pale blue eyes sadly. "Why can't I just be happy? Why did you have to go out of your way to meet me? I'd've never met Bruce if it wasn't for you."

A deadly silence fills the room. Loki takes in a sharp breath; I stiffen, realizing that I've said something I'll soon regret. I glance up through my long lashes to see Loki glaring at me, his dark eyes burning with fury and rage. I stop myself from flinching under his cold stare. "You're right, Rebeckah." he says in a toxic tone. "It's my fault for everything that has happened to you since we met. However," he grins evilly, "it will be _your_ fault for everything that happens to him."

My eye widen in fear for Bruce as I realize what Loki's implying. "Y-you promised me that you wouldn't harm him." I stammer.

"I'm a man of my word, darling. You asked me not to harm Bruce… you forgot to mention the mindless beast within." He leans down to give my cheek a quick kiss. I watch his image start to fade. As he disappears, I hear his silky voice in my mind: _Until our next rendezvous, Princess._

~ * (*) * (*) * ~

I quietly enter the lab after I find the appropriate clothes to wear. I end up choosing a plain green, button-up shirt, black jeans, and black converse shoes to top the look. The two men fail to notice my presence even after I sit down.

"Good morning, Tony." I say to him.

He turns slowly to see me, a smile welcoming me back to the lab. "Morning, Angel Cake. You sleep well?"

"The second time around, yeah." I shrug.

"Oh? What happened the first time?" I see Bruce quickly glance at me. I shift in my seat and tell Tony, "I'd rather not relive it at the moment. Perhaps another time." He casts a wary look at me. "That bad, huh?" I simply nod, wanting to move on from the current topic.

"So, what's the update on the Tesseract's location?" I ask.

"We've almost got a lock on the general area. However, my decryption program has just now finished hacking into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files. Care to look?" Tony spins the screen around. I stand up and make my way over to him. I skim through most of it; my eyes eventually land on a subheading. "May I?" I inquire, pointing to it.

"Go right ahead, Angel Cake. We're just as curious as you are." Tony smiles.

I tap on it and a 3-D model of the latest S.H.I.E.L.D. weapon appears on the screen. "Phase 2? What the hell is that?" I say, my forehead furrowing. Tony turns it back to read. I look over at Bruce who has the same perplexed expression as Stark. A computer behind me beeps unexpectedly. "The model's got a lock on the Cube… it's sweeping the area." Bruce explains.

Tony continues to read through S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secure files, studying upon all of their lies and secrets. Every now and then, he'll read something that Fury's "forgotten" to mention. The door opens behind me, allowing an angry Nick Fury entry.

"What are you doing, Mr. Stark?" he questions Tony.

"Um… kind of been wondering the same about you." he replies.

"You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract." he says with a matter-of-factly tone of voice.

"We are." I say hotly.

"The model's locked and we're sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit, we'll have the location within half a mile." Bruce informs him.

He walks around the table, ending up next to me. Fury looks at us oddly for a moment but leaves it be. "Yeah, then you'll get your Cube. No muss, no fuss… What is 'Phase 2'?" Tony looks at him.

At that moment, Steve bursts in. He places a large gun-type object on the table with a satisfying thud. "Phase 2 is S.H.I.E.L.D. uses the Cube to make weapons." Steve looks at Tony, who looks surprised. "Sorry, the computer was moving a little slow for me."

Fury takes a long sigh before addressing Cap. "Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean we're making-"

"I'm sorry, Nick. What were you lying?" I turn the screen so he can see his own creation. He closes his eye, sighing in defeat. "I was wrong, Director." Steve shakes his head. "The world hasn't changed a bit."

"Did you know about this?"

Bruce poses the question to Natasha as she enters the room with Thor. She does a double-take but quickly composes herself. "You want to think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor."

Banner chuckles darkly, "I was in Calcutta. I was pretty well removed."

"Loki is manipulating you." she throws in to sway him.

"And you've been doing what, exactly?" I ask her.

Natasha's jaw clenches tightly before she answers with, "He didn't come here simply because I batted my eyelashes at him."

"Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy." He points his glasses angrily at the monitor. "I'd like to know why S.H.I.E.L.D. is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction."

"Because of him." Fury explains, pointing at Thor.

"Me?" Thor questions him while looking extremely confused.

Fury straightens his stance as he launches into the explanation as to how Thor is the source of this problem. "Last year, Earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned."

"My people want nothing but peace with your planet." Thor argues defensively.

"But you're not the only people out there, are you? And you are not the only threat." Nick turns to face the rest of the group. "The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, who can't be controlled."

"Like you controlled the Cube?" I say disbelievingly.

"Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies. It is a signal to all the realms that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war." the golden-haired god roars.

"A higher form?" Cap echoes my thoughts.

"You forced our hand." Fury tells Thor. "We had to come up with something."

"A nuclear deterrent. Yeah, because that always calms everything right down." Tony says sarcastically.

"Remind me again how you made your future, Stark." Fury rounds on him.

"I'm sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck-deep in-"

"Wait a minute. Hold on. How is this now about me?"

"I'm sorry, isn't everything?" Steve retorts.

"I thought humans were more evolved than this." Thor exclaims.

"Excuse me, did we come to your planet and blow stuff up?" Fury asks him.

"You treat you champions with such mistrust." he adds.

"They are _not_ my champions." Fury sighs.

"Are you boy really _that_ naïve? S.H.I.E.L.D. monitors potential threats." Natasha growls.

"Wait, Captain America is on threat watch?" I ask, raising both eyebrows.

"We all are." she responds with a look into my eyes. _That means I am too… Damn you, Loki._

"Wait, you're on that list?" Tony asks Steve incredulously. "Are you above or below angry bees?"

"Stark, so help me God, if you make one more wisecrack-"

"Threat! Verbal threat. I feel threatened." Tony shouts dramatically. I roll my eyes in his direction. "Man up, Stark."

"Show some respect." Rogers tells him.

"Respect what?"

The room erupts with chatter. It becomes impossible for me to focus on one conversation. I rub my temples absentmindedly. _What is with this sudden headache?_ I step away from Bruce to the Cube locator. I watch it as it continues to scan rapidly, desperately trying to find the signature. _Come on, we need this, like… now._ I sigh amidst the clamoring, and it falls on deaf ears. My gaze lands on the scepter. I watch it intently for a moment. As the augments rage on, the blue orb starts to glow brighter. _It feeds on rage._

"You speak of control, yet you court chaos." Thor says.

"That's his M.O., isn't it?" Bruce says, bringing the subject back to Loki. "I mean, what are we, a team? No, no. no, we're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're a… we're a time bomb."

"You need to step away." Fury says to Bruce.

"Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?" Tony asks jokingly, placing a hand on Steve's shoulder. "You know damn well why. Back off!" Steve shouts while slapping his hand away.

Tony's eyes darken to an onyx. "I'm starting to want you to make me."

"Yeah, big man in a suit of armor." Steve scoffs. "Take that off, what are you?"

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist." he replies instantaneously. It sounds incredibly cocky, but he states it plainly because it's a fact; with or without the suit, he'd still be the same man.

"Yeah? Well, I know guys worth _ten_ of you." he sneers. "And I've seen the footage; the only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on the wire and let the other guy crawl over you."

"I think I'd just cut the wire."

Steve smirks. "Always a way out. You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero."

"A hero? Like you? You're a laboratory experiment, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle." Tony steps towards Steve so that he's right in his face.

"Put on the suit. Let's go a few rounds." Steve says, challenging Stark.

"You people are so petty… and tiny." Thor says with an amused expression.

"Yeah, this is a team." Banner says sarcastically.

"Boys," I shout to Rogers and Stark, "enough! start acting like adults before I shove you off this vessel."

They turn to look at me, both stare in disbelief. They see the seriousness in my eyes a slowly begin to simmer down. The room gets deathly quite after my outburst. Fury's the one who breaks the silence. "Agent Romanoff, would you please escort Dr. Banner back to his-"

"Where? You rented my room."

"The cell was just in case-" Fury begins.

"In case you needed to kill me. But you can't; I know, I tried!" he shouts at him. I stand still, horrified at this reality. Bruce glances up at me to see the horror on my face. He sighs gently before explaining. "I got low. I didn't see an end, so, I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out. So I moved on. I focused on helping people; I was good… until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk." He glares at Fury, moving his gaze to Natasha. "You want to know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You wanna know how I stay calm?"

I stiffen as I watch him start to become furious at the two S.H.I.E.L.D. members. I notice the scepter in his hands and my eyes widen in terror. Fury's hand rises to his gun on his hip. Even Tony and Steve stop to see what's happening. Steve takes a small step towards Bruce saying, "Dr. Banner, put down the scepter."

Bruce looks down at his hands to see the stick. He stares at it in confusion, then up at me. I give him a sympathetic look quickly before the machine next to me starts beeping. Bruce hastily puts it back on the table before coming over to me to read the screen. "Sorry, kids. Looks like you don't get to see my party trick after all." He looks at me apologetically and I smile at him, telling him it's alright.

"You located the Tesseract?" Thor asks him.

"I can get there the fastest." Tony blurts out, wanting to know where it is.

"The Tesseract belongs on Asgard. No human is a match for it." Thor tells us.

"You're not going." Rogers tells Tony, placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"You're going to stop me?" Tony shrugs it off.

"Put on the suit. Let's find out."

"I'm not afraid to hit an old man."

"Put on the suit." Steve says through gritted teeth.

Next to me, I hear Bruce whisper, "Oh, my God."

I look down at the screen to see the location of the Cube when an explosion rips through the ship. Natasha, Bruce, and I fall as a gaping hole forms in the floor. I fall with a thud on the hard steel floor. I struggle to get up as the air in my lungs vanishes. I cough loudly, trying to breathe again. I glance over to my left to see Natasha's leg trapped by a large, grey pipe. I hear groaning on my right and turn my head to see Bruce curled up in a ball. "Bruce?" I whisper. I crawl over to him; he tries to hide his face. I watch as he slowly starts to convulse as though he's having a seizure. I place a hand on his face and he looks at me. His eyes remain a dark brown as the rest of him starts to change to a pale green. "Bruce, you'll get through this. Everything's going to be fine." I try to tell him, choking on tears. He looks at me once more before shouting, "Run!" I need no further instruction as I take off. _He's transforming into the Hulk… he doesn't want to hurt me._

I don't know where I'm going as I run through the ship. I follow an instinct that surfaces as soon as Bruce is out of sight. I run past crewmen and S.H.I.E.L.D. members. I don't even stop to breathe as I race to find someplace safe. A guide in my head tells me the directions to take as I continue on my unknown course. I hear my footsteps slow as I realize the voice has taken me to a gleaming glass cell in the middle of the Helicarrier.

He stands at the door, smiling as I approach. A lump in my throat forms, causing me to cough. I force myself up to the door to show him that I'm not afraid. My lips form a hard line as he continues to smirk at me.

"So, you've seen the monster within now, have you?" he teases me.

"You brought me here. You were telling me where to go. You just wanted to humiliate me, didn't you?" I hiss.

"No, no, Rebeckah. Not humiliate. I only wanted to show you that there is no control in that man. He is not as strong as he seems. It will only be a matter of time before he ends up killing you." he smiles smugly. "He's not right for you."

"You're just a jealous bastard. Get over yourself."

"I wouldn't be so rude, darling. I will get out of here. And when I do, you'll be very sorry indeed."

"Do you really want me dead?" I ask him seriously. "If so, what makes you so much better than Bruce? At least he doesn't honestly want me to die."

"Of course I don't want your life to end." his face contorts in sadness. "Why do you think so low of me?"

"Because you want to rule the human race. We are not meant to be ruled."

"Oh, but you are. Deep in your heart, you know this to be true."

"No, the only thing I honestly and truly want is to make a difference. If you can't see that, then you know nothing about me."

He stares at me, realizing that I'm right but not wanting to admit it. I start to walk away when I hear glass sliding. I turn around to see Loki walking out through the other door in the cell. I see Thor rushing to him, trying to prevent his brother from escaping.

"Thor, no!" I scream as I realize that it's one of Loki's illusions.

But it's too late. Thor barrels through Loki's image and gets trapped within the cell. The real Loki walks up to him and asks, "When are you ever _not_ going to fall for that?" Thor hits the glass angrily, causing a crack in the smooth surface. A loud, metallic mechanism sounds once he does this. Loki backs up to the control panel, about to eject his brother into the air, plummeting to the Earth.

"You know, the humans think us immortal… shall we test that?"

Loki goes to press the button when a voice near me says, "Move away, please." I look around the pole to see Phil Coulson holding a rather large weapon. He moves it slightly as he asks Loki, "You like this? We started working on the prototype after you sent the Destroyer. Even I don't know what it does. Would you like to find out?"

I watch as Loki appears out of nowhere with the scepter. He approaches Phil slowly from behind. I rush out and push Coulson out of the way as Loki goes to pierce his heart. The blade on the scepter manages to slice through part of my right arm as I shove Phil. I hear Thor yell through the glass as Loki injures me. Phil reacts on impulse, firing the gun at the real Loki, managing to launch him through a wall. Before the other one disappears, he pushes the red button, sending Thor through the air to the Earth. I grasp my arm as my blood seeps through the fabric of my shirt. Phil walks over to check on me.

"Are you alright? I just called for a medic." he tells me, concern filling his eyes.

"I'm fine. It's just a cut. Go help Fury, he needs it. I'll stay right here until help can get to me." I smile up at him.

"Thank you. I don't think I'd be here right now if you hadn't have done that for me… I owe you."

"No, you don't. Now go."

He pauses briefly before heading back to the bridge. I sigh heavily, worrying about Thor, Bruce, Tony, Steve, Fury, Natasha, and… Loki. _What the hell is wrong with me? He almost killed Coulson._ My eyelids grow heavy as I let my thoughts wander. I barely notice the medics as I drift off to sleep.

~ * (*) * (*) * ~

I sit at the table on the bridge. Tony and Steve sit nearby, but no one speaks a word. I look at my heavily bandaged arm and give a sigh with a shake of my head. _It wasn't that bad. I've had worse._ I barely notice Fury as he approaches the table. He sighs before beginning a speech. "We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, the location of the Cube, Banner, Thor… I got nothing for you." I close my eyes sadly as he mentions Bruce. _Damn you, Loki. This was all your doing. _"I lost my one good eye." he continues. "Maybe I had it coming. Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number, though because I was playing something even riskier." He walks around the table, stopping between Steve and Tony. "There was an idea, Stark knows this, called the Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people to see if they could become something more. To see if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Many died today still believing in that idea. In heroes." Tony stands abruptly, casting a cold glance in my direction. He leaves the room, not wanting to listen to Fury's pity stories. "Well, it's an old fashioned notion." Steve looks at me once before following Tony with a sigh.

I look over at Nick, shaking my head. "You are such a manipulative bastard. You're just as bad as Loki." I chuckle dryly as I follow the heroes' suite. I wander the halls, wondering where they could be. I find myself drawn back to the empty cell room. Tony and Steve stand there in silence.

"He's playing the 'pity' card." I tell them. "He's trying to get you to work together so you'll find the Cube."

"That sounds like something Fury'd do. Is this the first time you've lost soldiers?" Steve asks me.

I round on him, anger racing through me. "We are _not _soldiers. I am _not _marching for Fury's fife."

"Neither am I. He's got the same blood on his hands that Loki does. But right now, we've got to put that behind us and get this done. Now, Loki needs a power source. If we can put together a list-"

"He made it personal, almost anyway." Tony says suddenly.

"That's not the point." Steve sighs.

"That _is_ the point. That's Loki's point. He tried to hit us all where we live, hurting Bruce's love-and his-in the process. Why?"

"To tear us apart?" I suggest.

"Yeah, divide and conquer is great but he knows he has to take us out to win, right? _That's_ what he wants. He wants to be beat us; he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience." He claps his hands together.

"Yeah, I caught his act in Stuttgart." Steve nods.

"Tony." I say.

"Yeah, Angel Cake?"

"Before the lab exploded, I caught a glimpse of the Cube's location. It was somewhere in New York… I'm sorry that it's not very specific."

"No, no, that's great… Stuttgart was previews; this is opening night. And Loki, he's a full-tilt diva, right? Where would he be? He… he wants flowers, he wants parades, he wants… a monument built to the skies with his name plastered-"

"Tony!"

"Son of a bitch. Come on, I know where he is." He takes a glance at me. "You'd better suit up."

"What? I'm not a S.H.I.E.L.D. member; I don't have powers."

"Maybe not, but you hold an essential piece in this puzzle."

"What's that?"

"Loki's humanity."

* * *

**Review?**


	6. 6 The Battle

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers.**

* * *

I stand next to Ste-er, Captain America as we leave the Helicarrier in a jet. I stare in awe at him as he starts to resemble the captain I've heard about so many times before. I look down at my own outfit, still shocked that I'm even here. Black Widow (as I learned Natasha's code name to be) had been more than happy to lend me one of her cat suits. I'm slightly slimmer than her, so it's not a snug as it should be; my converse shoes blend into the outfit perfectly. Before leaving, Natasha helped me find some various armory that were cluttering the ship. I eventually settled on two CZ 75 B pistols.

Stark had gone on ahead of us, seeing that he could get there faster than the jet, even with Barton maneuvering it. An empty feeling in my stomach is slowly starting to eat away at me. _can I really turn the tide of this battle? Is Loki's humanity seriously in my hands?_ I sigh softly while wishing that this could all just be over already.

"You okay, Rebeckah?" Cap asks.

"Physically, yes. Mentally and emotionally, no."

"What's wrong?"

"You guys seriously think I can help Loki regain his humanity?"

"You have a better shot at it than us." he shrugs honestly.

"His mind seems too far gone, though." I mumble.

"That may be true… but is his heart?"

I hear Natasha mutter not-so-quietly, "He has one?" I smirk lightly and notice Steve doing the same with a low chuckle trailing behind. We slowly make our way through the city to StarkTower, taking out a few Chitauri as we go. I glance out the window of the jet to see us approaching the building. When I start to look away, I notice two figures locked in battle. Loki is attacking a man with golden hair and a bright red cape… _Thor! He's alive!_ I mentally slap myself with stupidity._ Of course he's alive, he's a god. _Hawkeye locks onto Loki, ready to fire. But, Loki seems to notice and fires an energy orb from the scepter at the jet, taking out one of the wings.

"Hang on!" Clint yells. "I have to set her down!"

Steve and I grip onto the railings on the roof of the plane. Clint manages to land us on the ground without us or the civilians receiving any injuries. The four of us hastily exit the jet to get a look at the destruction already plaguing the city.

"We have to get back up there." Cap says with a look up to the tower.

From the sky, I hear a loud groan as if it's from some sort of mechanical creature. I look up at the portal to watch an enormous Leviathan fly out into the city. It groans once again, showing off its ugly, metal teeth. It comes down between the buildings, flying just above us. I stare in horror as more Chitauri launch out of it and land on the buildings near us. They tear through the windows into the buildings themselves. I hear Cap start to talk into his earpiece to Tony.

"Stark, are you seeing this?" he asks incredulously.

I hear over my own, "Seeing. Still working on believing. Where's Banner? Has he shown up yet?"

"Bruce?" I ask.

"Just… keep me posted."

"Alright." I mutter back. _Why is he so concerned about Bruce joining us… We don't even know where he is._ I feel my heart tighten a bit as I let my mind wander off, thinking of what could've happened to him. I shake the thoughts away and focus on the problem at hand. I look over at Steve, who's checking out the surrounding areas. I glance up into the skies to see the briefest flash of someone clad in green and gold. "Loki." I say aloud. The three of them turn their heads towards the retreating chariot containing the god. We all return our gazing to the aliens approaching us.

"You think you can hold them off?" Cap asks us.

"Captain… it would be my genuine pleasure." Hawkeye says, whipping out his bow.

He quickly grabs an arrow and promptly shoots it into the head of one of the Chitauri, taking it out instantly. Captain America nods once before leaving us to take care of business elsewhere. Natasha and I take opposite positions and just start shooting at any targets we can. After a few minutes, I notice a bus full of people… and they aren't leaving the bus; they're panicking. _They're trapped._ I rush over and start trying to help people out. I smash in a window and start helping people leave through it. After several manage to exit the vehicle, I realize not everyone can get out this way. I jog to the door and struggle to open it. I pull it open and a swarm of scared people pile out of it.

I head back to Black Widow and Hawkeye who seem to be having a dispute about memories of Budapest being different. I chuckle despite the danger that we're in. I start to get into a sort of flow with the action occurring right in front of us. Natasha takes one down and it drops its spear. I hesitantly pick it up, wondering if it'll even work for me. To my delight, I find a trigger and start to use their weapon against them. Nat seems a bit taken aback by my sudden burst of courage and starts to use my idea. Hawkeye casually takes out a few more Chitauri using his actually bow or just stabbing them through with his arrows.

I don't actually notice Cap show up to join us. I just see a whir of red, white, and blue with a metallic shield. He uses it to defend each of us against the aliens, hitting them square in the chest with the round piece of armory. More Chitauri start to gang up on us when lightning strikes down on several, short-circuiting their systems. All of a sudden, Thor lands down a few feet in front of us, looking disgruntled. He stumbles a bit as he makes his way over to us.

"What's the story upstairs?" Cap asks him.

"The power surrounding the Cube is impenetrable." he replies in his deep voice.

A voice sounds in my ear. "Thor's right. We got to deal with these guys."

"How do we do this?" Natasha asks.

"As a team." 'I reply from behind them.

"I have unfinished business with Loki." Thor says.

"Yeah?" Clint scoffs. "Well, get in line."

"Save it." Steve tells them. "Loki's going to keep the fight focused on us, and that's what we need. Without him, these things could run wild. We got Stark up top. He's going to need us to-"

He turns around slowly as we all hear an approaching motorcycle. I look behind me to see Bruce arriving into the battle. He looks tired and slightly beaten up since the last time I saw him. I start to walk over to him as he slows down. He stops the vehicle; I walk all the way up to him and embrace him. Without hesitation, he returns the favor. I whisper to him, "I'm glad you're alright."

"I'm happy to see you too."

We pull apart to address the rest of the team. He stays by my side as he says flatly, "Well, this all seems horrible."

"I've seen worse." Natasha comments.

"Sorry."

"No, we could use a little worse." she smiles lightly.

"Stark, we got him." Captain America says to Tony.

"Banner? Then tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you."

_Party? What the hell is he talking about? This is not the time._ I watch as Tony appears from behind a building coming towards us; he's followed closely behind by one of the Leviathans, it's jaw gaping open as if it's trying to eat him. I hear Nat comment from behind me, "I-I don't see how that's a party." It picks up speed the same time Tony does. Bruce squeezes my hand gently before staring towards it. "Bruce," I call out. He turns to look at me. "Now might be a good time for you to get angry." He smiles at me and says, "That's my secret, Rebeckah… I'm always angry." He turns back and I watch him instantly morph into the Hulk. His shirt rips off in the transformation, exposing his giant, green chest. The Leviathan draws nearer and Bruce swings a fist in its direction, causing the front of it to smash to pieces. The creature flips over and Tony shoots at its midsection so it doesn't collapse on us. Thor crouches over me to protect me from the blast.

We quickly recollect in a circle, back to back. Each of us takes a stance, ready to attack the army at hand. As the Leviathan drops, the Chitauri begin to screech in rage. I smile smugly, knowing that we do have a shot at winning this pointless battle. I see Black Widow tense slightly and I follow her gaze. We watch as more Leviathans come through the portal along with many more Chitauri on chariots.

"Guys." I say trying to direct their attention to the portal.

"Call it, Captain." Stark tells Tony.

"All right, listen up. Until we can close that portal, our main priority is containment. Barton, I want you up on that roof, eyes on everything, call out patterns and strays. Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, turn it back or turn it to ash."

Hawkeye looks over at Tony, "Can you give me a lift?"

"Right." Tony walks over to him, grabbing onto his uniform. "Better clench up, Legolas." He blasts off towards the building to drop Barton off. Cap turns back to us. "Rebeckah, I want you to get into StarkTower. Loki'll probably end up there eventually; you'll know what to do when the time comes. Thor, you got to try and bottleneck that portal; slow them down. You've got the lightning, light the bastards up."

"Hey, Thor." I call to him.

"Yes, milady?"

"Can you get me up to that tower beforehand?"

"Hold on to me."

He snakes his arm around my waist and we take off. In a matter of seconds, we land on the platform of Tony's newest building. I turn to Thor, "Thank you." He bows slightly before heading off to finish his order. I jog into the building so I don't get pushed off by an alien. I wait patiently for Loki to arrive. _He will show up. This will be the only time he'll be able to talk to me alone._ I pace anxiously, starting to wonder whether he will show up or not.

"Well, well, well… what have we here?" a voice calls out to me.

I turn towards the windows to see Loki striding in. I straighten up to show him that I'm not here to mess around.

"They think that you will have any impact on me. How sweet." he mocks me.

"Why? Why have you gone to all this trouble? What is the prize for this chaos?" I ask him.

"Why the Earth, of course. I will be king, and you will all kneel before me." he smiles at me.

I notice the scepter in his hands' it continues to have that bright blue glow. I take a step towards him, feeling a sense of courage overwhelm me. "I will never kneel to you."

His eyes narrow and his lips form a thin line. He takes a step towards me and I stare at him in fear. _This isn't him; this isn't the Loki that I started to care for._ His grip tightens on the scepter, and the eyes I've grown to love change to a deadly blue. I take a few steps back instinctively and run into the bar. I curse slightly to myself. I hear Loki laugh darkly.

"You think you can defeat me, mortal?" he muses.

"Maybe I can't alone, but_ we_ sure as hell can." I hiss.

"Such fire. I should've recruited you sooner."

He takes another small but menacing step towards me. My grip on the bar tightens to the point where my knuckles turn white. He smiles wickedly at me. "Oh, come now, dear. I'm going to free you from the very torments of freedom itself."

"Loki, don't you know who I am?" I ask him, staring into the glossy, crystal blue eyes.

He stops to look at me; I hold my ground. He seems confused by my questions. "It's me, Rebeckah, Slyvania, Abigale… The girl you fell in love with. You claim to have fallen head-over-heels for me. If any of that was ever true, you'd know that I'd never want to lose my freedom and I will _not_ be ruled."

"You think I loved you? A mortal?" he says, his words dripping with venom. "You have to be the simple most pathetic person I have ever met. How could I ever associate myself with someone as low as you?"

I stare hard at him, fighting back tears. He closes the gap between us and grasps my neck. I feel my feet leave the ground and I start gasping for air. His grip tightens on my throat as he brings my ear to his lips. "I will be sure to dispose of you once I win the Earth." I hear blood pounding in my ears. He sets me down as I start to get light-headed. I try to think of a way to bring him back to his senses; I am left with only one option. I advance on him before he has time to attack me, and I kiss him.

It lasts for only a moment, but a moment is all I need. I step back to look at him. For the briefest of seconds, his eyes turn back to an emerald green. He looks at me with those eyes until the venomous blue returns. Rage and hatred fills them as he slaps me across the face, sending me across the room. I tenderly touch my cheek and wince at the already forming wound. He shouts at me, "How dare you? You are below me."

He starts to make his way over to me when a giant green man flies through the windows, throwing Loki against the opposite wall. I look up in admiration as I see Bruce. He starts to go after Loki as he stands back up in a flash. "Enough!" he screams. "You, all of you, are below me. I am a god, you dull creature, and I will not be bullied by-" Loki doesn't have time to finish as the Hulk grabs him by his feet and starts hitting him off the floor. I wince each time he smacks against the stone floor, almost feeling the intensity of the pain. When Bruce's done, he walks away saying something that sounds a lot like, "Puny god." The Hulk walks over to me; I don't cower away from him. He looks down at me and I see Bruce behind those eyes. I smile up at him and say, "Go, they need you. I'll watch over him." He seems to tense a bit. "I'll be fine." I reassure him. He hesitantly nods before leaving the tower to return to the fight.

I try to stand up but quickly fall back down to the ground. A pain at my ankle causes me to stay down. I pull my pant leg up to see my left ankle starting to swell. I groan loudly. _Dammit… I've sprained my ankle._ I look over at Loki who is at least two inches into the floor. I smile smugly at the scene. I close my eyes. gently and wait for the team to find me.

* * *

**Review?**


	7. 7 The End is Only a New Beginning

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers… I only own courageous Rebeckah Collins.**

* * *

"Rebeckah… Rebeckah." a worried voice calls out.

I hesitantly open my eyes. I look up to see a pair of brown eyes gazing down at me. I blink a few times for my vision to clear up. I finally focus enough to reveal a slightly frowning Bruce. I smile weakly at him.

"Hey. What happened?" I ask him.

"I left you here with Loki. I assume you passed out."

"Loki?" I sit up. "Where is he? Did he escape? Oh, my God…he escaped. I let him escape, didn't I?"

"Whoa, calm down. We got to him before he could even reach the elevator. We have him."

I sigh thankfully, my eyes fluttering shut for a brief moment. "What's going to happen to him?" I whisper. Bruce doesn't answer me so I gaze over at him.

"Bruce?"

"Thor is taking him back to Asgard to face their verdict. He's taking the Cube with them." he sighs heavily.

I look down at my lap. _Loki's returning home._ I try to get his image to leave my mind, but I keep seeing his beautiful eyes… "His eyes." I whisper softly to myself.

"What?"

"Where's Loki?"

"I'm not s-"

"Where's Thor? I'm sure he knows." I sigh angrily.

I try to stand up when I am painfully reminded that I've sprained my ankle. I feel Bruce's hand grip my shoulder. "Rebeckah, I think you should stay put."

"Bruce," I turn to him, "I really appreciate what you're trying to do, but right now, I must find Loki… I need to speak with him."

I hear him mutter something softly. He slips his left arm under my right to support me. Together, we walk off to find the other demi-god. I quickly spot him outside on the landing. Bruce and I hobble out to talk to him.

"Thor!" I call out.

He spins around, a grin spreading across his face as he sees me. "Miss Collins…what has happened?" His gaze flickers to my leg.

"It's nothing. Thor, where is your brother?"

The God of Thunder tenses at the mention of Loki. I stare deep into his blue-jeweled eyes. "Thor, I must speak to him. It's urgent."

He closes his eyes in defeat. "He's here. Tony is with him now. Rebeckah, if you are serious about speaking with him, please be careful. Loki's mind is still…not entirely his own. Tony's keeping him in the basement."

"Thank you." I smile.

Bruce helps me turn around while Thor tells me something else. "Rebeckah, when I helped take him downstairs, the first thing he asked was if you were alive and alright." My breath catches and Bruce's grip on me tightens slightly. "No matter what charade he puts on, he still cares for you… He has since he met you for the very first time."

I nod briefly, mostly to myself. _If he's got his own mind back, he musts be cursing himself._ I smile grimly at the thought. Bruce leads me to the elevator. "This thing still works?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I'm a little surprised myself." he replies.

We travel down for a few seconds before Bruce pushes the emergency stop button. I glance over at him. "What's wrong?" He looks at me and replies, "Rebeckah, I need to know something."

"Alright… What is it?"

He sighs as he leans against the side of the elevator. He gazes directly into my eyes as he continues, "No matter what he says to you, no matter what story-truth or lie-he gives you, I want to know where _we_ stand."

I fight back a small smile. I hop over to him as I place my hand on his cheek. "I stand with you, Bruce. I always have. It has _always _been you since I first met you in the lab only days ago. Loki may have known me centuries ago, but in this time-here and now-my heart only belongs to you."

He smiles at me before capturing my lips with his. MY arms wrap around his neck; his go around my waist. He kisses me fervently and I return it just as passionately. My right hand grasps gently at his hair before we separate unwillingly. Bruce kisses my forehead lightly before resting his chin on my head.

"I love you, Rebeckah." he whispers.

I smile and reply, "I love you, too."

~ * (*) * (*) * ~

We approach Tony as he exits a room. He smiles at the two of us, "Hey, Angel Cake. What happened?" He doesn't lose his cheery grin as he gazes down at my ankle.

"I sprained my ankle; nothing major."

"Oh? And how is the kind doctor 'helping' you?" he smirks teasingly at me more than Bruce.

I fight back a furious blush as I glare at him. "One more joke, Mr. Stark, and I'll make sure that you'll end up in the hospital before the night is over. Now, I have to talk to Loki."

He looks at Bruce. "She's serious about the hospital thing, isn't she?" Bruce chuckles with a nod. "I'm pretty sure she is… Unless you want to test her." Tony sighs, "Why do you need t-"

"Please, Tony?"

He looks at me skeptically for a few moments before nodding. "Alright, you can talk to Reindeer Games." I don't move; instead I cross my arms and look at him directly. "This conversation with him is to be private, which means no one else will know besides Loki and me. Is that clear?" I watch Tony's lip twitch slightly before giving me a hesitant, "Yes."

I smile sweetly at him as I pass by to get to the door. I watch as he and Bruce slowly walk away together. I take a slow, deep breath before entering to face Loki alone. I shut the door quietly. Loki faces away from me, staring at the plain, white wall.

"Come back to insult me, Stark?" I hear a smirk in his voice as he speaks.

I lean against the wall nonchalantly as I reply, "If I were Tony, I probably would. However, I came for different reasons."

He turns around to look at me. I waste no time as I gaze into his eyes, relieved to see they have returned to their emerald green color. I smile faintly at him as he stares at me in disbelief.

"Why are you here?" he whispers hoarsely.

"I wanted to see if you were in your right mind again… How much do you remember?" I ask gently.

"Everything. I remember everything…" he moans. He walks over to me slowly, seeing if he's overstepping boundaries. "Did I do that?" I notice that he points to my leg.

"I'm not sure. I noticed after I… hit the wall." I mumble the last part. He closes his eyes with a sharp sigh. "What happened to you, Loki?"

"I think I was…being overly-manipulated by the scepter… It has the same energy as the Tesseract."

"That would explain your eyes."

"What?"

"Your eyes were the same toxic blue as the Cube… They weren't the same green I was used to."

"I cannot turn back time and take back what I did, however, I think I can help." He kneels beside my ankle. "May I?" I nod curiously at him. Loki moves back the pant leg of the cat suit to examine my sprain. He gently grasps it and I try to hold back a small cry of pain. I rubs his cool hand over the injury and the pain immediately starts to dissipate. He stands up in front of me. "I hope that helps." he smiles weakly.

"What did you do? Did you…heal me?"

"Your ankle is as well as it should be. One of the benefits of studying magic."

"Thank you. I'm not mad at you for what happened. It wasn't really you; I understand that."

"But I _knew_ what was happening and I did nothing! I could've controlled it, I could've fought it, but I didn't!" he shouts, pounding the wall behind me with his fist. "I could've killed you, Rebeckah… I-I _wanted_ to…that thought terrifies me. I don't know what would've happened to me if I had murdered you." I see him shudder.

"But you didn't" I supply weakly.

"No because the beast saved you. He saved you from me. What do you think would've happened if he hadn't shown up when he did?" He stares into my eyes.

"But he _did_ show up."

"What if he hadn't?" he presses.

I swallow audibly. "I don't know. I-I guess I'd probably be in worse shape than I was a minute ago."

He closes his eyes. I look down at the ground, trying to make the threatening tears disappear from my vision. "I understand why you love him." I hear him whisper almost inaudibly. "Even when he's 'taken over' by the creature inside, he refuses to harm you; he protects you with his life…unlike me."

"Don't say that. Who knows what would've happened if this whole mess hadn't happened and you found me on your own terms?"

He smiles briefly with a dry chuckle. "Yeah, I guess it might've been different if I hadn't gone down this long and lonely road."

"Why did it have to be lonely?"

"Who would aid a fallen god who tried to take over his predecessor's throne? Especially after he tried to get rid of his brother. I knew I was walking alone when I started this journey."

"I'm sorry." I say weakly.

"Don't be."

A moment of silence settles between us. I try not to look at him in fear of breaking down into tears. I clear my throat quickly as I bring up a new topic. "I hear you're going back to Asgard."

"Yes. Thor has made arrangements for us to return home with the Tesseract. I am to face their verdict."

"I-I sort of wish you didn't have to leave."

I glance up at him to see him smirk at me. "And why is that, darling?"

"It was nice having someone around who knew me from somewhere else, even if it was a few centuries ago. I was enjoying my own tales. You're the only one who knows them."

"I will never truly leave you. As I told you before, Rebeckah, your soul belongs to me. No matter where you are, no matter whom you are with, you will always be mine. And I shall continue to watch over you as I did before, now that I've found you. I _will _not allow harm to befall you as I did many years ago."

"So, I guess I really do have a guardian angel." I smile brightly.

"I wouldn't call myself an angel, darling. Remember who you are talking to." He smiles back at me. "He is right for you… Banner, I mean. I was wrong when I said you weren't right for each other. I can see it now."

"Thank you. I should probably start heading back now… They might start to worry about me." I frown ever so slightly.

"Before you go, I want you to have something." He holds up his hand to my eyes. In the center of his palm lies a dime-sized emerald on a sliver chain.

"It's beautiful." I tell him.

"Turn around." he replies.

I do as he says and move my blonde curls out of the way. I feel the chain circle my neck as he whispers to me, "If you ever need assistance and Banner is not around, simply grasp it and call my name. I will find a way to you."

I turn back around and embrace him gently. I feel him hesitantly return the gesture. "Thank you, Loki." I whisper in his ear. We separate and I open the door. He backs away to the center of the room. "It was my genuine pleasure, Rebeckah." I smile lightly at him before I close the door, shutting him out once more.

~ * (*) * (*) *~

Bruce's arm encircles my waist as we stand on a sidewalk facing a park. Tony, Steve, Natasha, and Clint stand near us as Thor receives an encased Tesseract from Coulson. A few feet away from us, stands a muzzled and hand-cuffed Loki who stares absentmindedly at the ground. I try not to look at him and pay attention to the other people passing by, not bothering to even look in our direction.

Thor walks over to Loki, Tesseract in hand. I look over to see Loki glance over at me. _I hope we see each other again soon, Rebeckah. I can't live without you._I hear his voice in my head, and I look away to find myself gazing up at Bruce. He smiles reassuringly at me.

"Are you ready to return?" I hear Thor ask his brother.

I look over in time to see them disappear in a blue haze. I feel Bruce squeeze my waist gently as they completely vanish. I breathe in heavily. The rest of the Avengers start to leave the area, heading home or to temporary living places. I start to walk with Bruce to Tony's car when Coulson calls me.

"Miss Collins."

"Yes, Phil?" I turn around.

"I'm afraid that I have to take you to Director Fury."

"Why?"

"I'm really not sure, but I don't think this should be ignored." He looks at Bruce as he continues. "I assure you that she will return to you alive and well."

"Alright. I'll go see Fury… Not that I really want to." I kiss Bruce quickly. "I'll see you later."

He reluctantly lets go of me as I walk over to join Phil. He leads me to his black Acura and opens the passenger side to let me in. He quickly gets into the drivers side and starts to take me to Fury.

"I'm glad to see you're not fatally injured." he tells me.

"Thanks. I'm glad you're not in that situation either. I wasn't anywhere near you to save you if you were." I tease him.

He smirks briefly at my quirky comment. "Thanks again for that. I really do owe you one."

"Wow, I get an 'IOU' from a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent." I laugh. "But you really don't. I wasn't about to let Loki harm you in front of me."

"He cares for you… I find that-pardon my rudeness-strange. I didn't think someone like him could love anyone other than himself."

"I found it hard to believe, too. But he does. I just have to live with the fact."

The rest of the ride consists of peaceful and comfortable silence among the two of us. He takes me to just another ordinary, unharmed building in New York. I exit the car before Phil reaches my side. He enters the structure swiftly, I follow silently without command. He leads me through several rooms before stopping outside a door.

"He's in there. When he's done, I'll take you to StarkTower." He smiles at me.

"Thank you, Phil."

He nods once before leaving me outside the door. I enter without hesitation to find myself surrounded by many computers. In the center of the room stands Nick Fury. I walk a little closer to his position and take a seat in a nearby chair.

"You wanted to see me Director?" I speak up.

"Miss Collins, yes. I would first like to thank you for aiding us in Loki's attempt at war."

"It was nothing. I couldn't let innocent people get hurt."

"Either way, my thanks was in order. Secondly, I have a proposition for you."

"Oh?" I lean towards him in my chair. "What kind of proposition?"

He walks over to me, sitting down in a chair opposite me. He looks me in the eye as he says, "I'm asking you to join S.H.I.E.L.D. and become a field agent."

I hear my breath catch as I process what he's just said. "You want me to be a field agent?" He simply nods. I lean back and let my back hit the chair; I slump in the seat. "I-I don't know what to say… Can I think it over?" I look over at him hopefully.

"I can give you one night, but that's it. I can't afford to wait, Miss Collins. You should also know I don't make these offers often and when I do, I don't do it lightly."

I nod slowly as I stand up. "Thank you, Fury. I will have an answer for you tomorrow."

"I'll meet you here again at ten hundred hours. I hope to see you amongst the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D." He shakes my hand once before gesturing to the door. I smile at him before leaving the building to find Phil. He stands at the car, waiting for me.

"Ready to go, Miss Collins?" he asks.

"Yes, Phil. Are you sure you didn't know what Fury wanted with me?" I question him.

"I have absolutely no idea… So, should I start asking around for people to begin getting your equipment?" he teases.

I laugh. "I haven't given him an answer yet. I'll have one for him tomorrow."

"I'll pick you up at nine."

I smile with a nod as I get in the car for him to drive me to Tony's

~ * (*) * (*) * ~

I leave Coulson as I ride up to the top floor of the tower. I arrive to find Tony and Bruce at the built in bar. I walk up to them and slide into the seat next to Bruce.

"Hey, Angel Cake. What did Fury want?" Tony asks.

"He-um-wanted to know if I'd like to join S.H.I.E.L.D."

"What did you say?" Bruce inquires.

"I didn't give him an answer. I'll have to reply to him tomorrow. I plan on saying, 'Yes'."

"Why?"

"I have no…excitement in my life. Or, I didn't until I met all of you. I don't think I can just go back to my regular life after this. Anyway, Tony-I hate to ask but-do you have a room I could spend the night in? I don't really want to go across town to get to my apartment."

"Yeah, I do; eighth floor, third room on the left from the elevator." he smiles.

"Thanks."

I jump off the stool and head off towards the elevator; Bruce follows closely behind. I wait for him to enter before I push the eighth floor button. He places his hands on my shoulders and asks, "How are you holding up?"

"I…miss him. I know that sounds odd, but I do." I whisper softly.

"Hey, it's fine."

He hugs me tightly and I bury myself in his chest. I ask him, "What do you think; should I join S.H.I.E.L.D.?" He pulls me away to hold my face in his hands. "I think you'd enjoy it, and I think it'd be good for you." I nod as I understand his reasoning. I lean up and kiss him gently. I feel his hand slowly make its way into my hair. The elevator door opens, interrupting us. We walk up to the door where he kisses me again. "I love you, Bruce." I whisper against his lips.

"I love you, too." he says.

I pull back and raise and eyebrow. "How much?"

He opens the door and replies against my neck, "Let me show you." He picks me up and takes me inside, closing the door behind us.

**_Fin_**

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**Review?**


	8. Special Sneak Peak: Excerpt for Sequel

**Here's a sneak peak of "A Dance with Mischief's" sequel.**

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**Seven Months Later**

Blood trickles from my mouth onto my lap at a slow and steady pace. A long gash above my left eyebrow stings as a light sweat starts to cover my forehead; several cuts mark my once-smooth cheeks. My head hangs slightly as I slump in the chair, my arms tied behind it.

The men on the other side of the door talk in rapid Arabic. I curse myself inwardly. _Why didn't I take S.H.I.E.L.D. up on that offer? I could be proficient in several languages by now. Damn my stubbornness. _I tenderly lick my bottom lip and wince as I come across yet another wound. _That's gonna hurt _a lot_ by tomorrow. _The conversation behind the door pauses. I incline my head to try to pick up any familiar words to the conversation.

I jump back as far as the chair will let me as a violent scream rips through the air. Shots fire out to stop an obvious intruder; I keep my head down. I hear gasps in pain escape from the men who nearly tortured me as something pierces their cold hearts. I hear the door handle turn and I close my eyes as I wait to meet the murderer.

The door creaks open and a steady, yellow light brightens up the dark and dismal room. I pick my head up slightly and open my eyes a little to see the shadow of a tall, lean, muscular man; he leans against the doorframe, crossing his arms as he stares at me. I hear him sigh softly.

"I promised I'd protect you from harm; did I not, my darling?" a silky voice asks.

I look up at the figure; I squint to block out some of the pale light. I feel my head tilt slightly as my crystal eyes widen in confusion and shock. My hoarse whisper disturbs the silence as I call out one name.

"Loki?"

* * *

**And that, my dear readers, is a small slice of what you can hope to see in the sequel! CLIFFHANGER! Finally, I manage to put one somewhere… It just had to be the excerpt… Anyway, I hope you enjoyed your sneak peak at this. However, I don't know when I will have the time to actually sit down and write this.**

**Review?**


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